Wedding Gone Awry
by Sleepy Lotus
Summary: Elizabeth's wedding is disrupted once again, and Jack Sparrow has a way of throwing off her center of gravity. JE
1. Chapter 1

-1Part I

Elizabeth looked out at the great wide sea, standing at the edge of the cliff hanging over the beach of Port Royal. The surf whispered and washed over the sand, the gentle ebb and flow rewriting its patterns with every wave. The sea held the power to change everything in its path, she observed. The sand, the rocks, and all those who dared sail upon her. She certainly couldn't say she would ever be the same again.

The wind whispered through her golden locks, tearing small ringlets free from her intricate coif. Her white skirt also stirred with the wind, volumous and uncomfortable. Suitable for a wedding, but little else. The corsets were not the only item that intended to restrict her, by the end of the day. A ring on her finger also promised of such horrors to come.

_Come to me _the waves and the salty breeze seemed to whisper. She felt as though she could feel their physical pull, an irresistible gravity. However, for as much as she loved the sea and all its promises, she couldn't blame her restlessness entirely upon the briny waves. A certain pair of smoldering black eyes also claimed hold of her, visiting her thoughts and dreams relentlessly.

What was it he'd said as they parted for the last time? _The sea will call you, love. It's an invitation people like us can't resist. _As Will walked down the gangplank of the Pearl onto the Port Royal dock, Jack took her hand in his, brushing lips ever so gently across the back of her hand. It was a chaste touch that caused her heart to ache with a most acute longing. Longing for adventure, longing for him. Longing for a love that would burn her wildly from both ends.

She took a deep breath, fighting back a sob as she inhaled the sweet salt of the breeze. "Jack," she whispered into the wind.

"Well, well! Ain't you pretty as a poppet!" exclaimed a harsh voice.

Elizabeth turned to face the newcomer, much alarmed. He was a mangy old seadog, sabre drawn with a crooked-toothed grin. Once upon a time, she might have said something lady like. _I beg your pardon, sir? _But now, she only glanced around nervously, searching for something she might use as a weapon, cursing the fact that it was considered improper for women to carry the means to defend themselves.

Two more rough characters climbed over the hill, one towering a good six and a half feet tall, a blue bandana tied round his enormous skull. "Why, if it ain't the bride herself!" exclaimed one with a sneer. "She'll make a nice ransom, won't she lads?"

"Ransom, or a pretty piece of eight at the auction block in Tortuga," answered the other.

Elizabeth screamed, but her cries were only carried away into the wind.

**I'm feeling like a pirate today, so I intend to hold the next chapter hostage for a suitable amount of reviews... Yarr. And to all those who already have the wonderful habit of leaving a bit of feedback, you have my undying gratitude! Thanks! **


	2. Chapter 2

-1A/N: In response to fantastic reviewers (thanks guys!) and the good fortune of afternoon class being cancelled, I present to you the next chapter. Enjoy.

Part II

"She's a feisty one, lads!" bellowed a voice out into the crowded streets of Tortuga. "Who wants her? Come on boys, she's well worth more than her weight in gold!"

Jack and Gibbs rambled through the crowd, ignoring the slave trader hocking his latest prize. Trading flesh was one of the few crimes that Jack found unappealing; he'd lost his own ship once for freeing slaves off the coast of Africa. "Jack!" hissed Gibbs, elbowing the captain to catch his attention. "Look! It's Miss Swann!"

Jack swiveled his head around to the stage, and his heart dropped to his feet as he witnessed it indeed was Lizzy up there, bound and gagged, and seemingly in a wedding dress. The crowd roared with laughter as the slave trader pinched her cheek and bossom, and a flurry of kicks flew out at the man. Elizabeth strained against her bonds and her gag, fighting to free herself from the tower of a man who held her arms from behind. Watching the men oogle and prod her, a dark ball of anger began to boil deep within Jack.

"Go find the crew, Gibbs," he ordered, hushed but terse. "Make the ship ready to sail, we're going to have to make a run for it."

Understanding perfectly, Gibbs nodded, and disappeared into the crowd from the direction they'd come. The crew wouldn't appreciate losing their shore time in the tavern, but it was a cause Jack deemed worthy.

Looking around, Jack noticed a loading crane, ropes and pulleys hanging freely from the day's use. He crept up the boom, unnoticed by the jeering crowd. The crowd began to place bids on the newly acquired slave; he heard calls of ten and twenty pounds. Even from high up on his perch, he could see the rage in Elizabeth's eyes. _There'll be no easy road after this, Jack _he told himself, grasping one of the ropes. _No turning back now._

Exhaling a deep breath, he launched himself from the crane, swinging down towards the platform. He caught the lead trader like a wrecking ball, sending the man flying into the crowd from the impact. Jarred, Jack took a moment to regain his bearings, drawing his sword to face Elizabeth's large captor. "You ain't gettin' her for free, mate," grumbled the man, drawing his own sword in kind.

"She's not yours for the takin'," said Jack. As the great man pushed Elizabeth to the ground, Jack quickly decided he would have no remorse after gutting him like a fish. The two pirates met in a furious clash of sabres, the crowd cheering all the while, happy to see a fight on stage. Perhaps the man had the advantage of strength on Jack, but he was also clumsy and slow. In no time at all, the pirate captain had him to the edge of the platform, and with a wide slash of his sabre sent him off and down into the crowd.

Wasting no time, Jack grabbed Elizabeth and ran for the stairs, making haste through the laughing crowd for the Pearl. He knew it couldn't be long before the rest of the slave trading crew set out looking for them; time was not on their side. Of course, it never was. Elizabeth kicked and struggled against him, until he was forced to duck into an alley to set her down. "I wouldn't be kickin' me, love, I'm the best chance you've got here," he said, drawing his knife to cut free her hands and gag.

"Jack?" Elizabeth's honey brown eyes went wide with surprise at seeing the pirate captain she knew so well, as her rescuer.

"Captain Jack," he corrected her, grabbing her hand to move onward. It was as they climbed the gangplank of the Pearl he heard a hoarse voice shout, "There they are! Get 'em!"

"Hoist anchor!!" ordered Jack, throwing in a hand to draw up the gangplank. "Set sail, you scabrous dogs!"

The robbed crew fired upon the departing ship, and received a volley in return from the Pearl. It was too late for the slavers though; the sails caught the wind and the Pearl glided out of Tortuga. The lights of the port town were soon swallowed into the night.

Jack turned to his latest find, raising dark eyebrows emphatically. "Are you hurt?" he asked Elizabeth, who stood watching the disappearing Tortuga, a haunted look about her expression. At turning her attention to him, Elizabeth fully caught him by surprise, knocking the breath from the captain as she pounced.

Arms round his neck, she embraced him like a lifeline, expressing her gratitude. After a moment of surprise passed, Jack's arms went round her waist, holding her in turn. When had he ever seen the girl so badly shaken? It made him wonder what exactly happened to her, aboard the slavers' vessel. Surely not…the thought of their grubby hands on her pristine flesh freshly renewed that curling heat of anger within him.

"You're safe now, love," he murmured into her hair. "You're safe."

In reply she tightened her hold upon him slightly, almost as though for the moment she feared he would let her go. He allowed himself to enjoy her warmth, her soft cheek against his and the silky curls tickling his face. After the day's events her perfume only slightly remained, adding a sweetness to the pure scent of Elizabeth.

"Thank you, Jack," she said, finally withdrawing from their embrace.

He nodded, paying her a wry smile. "Well, Lizzy, it seems fate just can't keep us away from each other."

Now the crew found themselves faced with yet another mystery, it seemed a common occurrence aboard the Pearl. What was Miss Swann doing here aboard their ship, and in a wedding dress, no less?

Elizabeth glanced around at the crew she knew so well, who all regarded her curiously. "It seems not, _Captain_ Sparrow." She fingered her wedding dress, which in places had become quite browned. "As you can see, we were interrupted at a rather strange time at Port Royal," she explained.

Ragetti snickered. "Seems you an Will'll never get hitched at this rate. Always something, ain't there?"

Elizabeth gave a short laugh, that came out half like a sob. She covered her mouth with a hand, hiding her smile. Raising one sculpted eyebrow, she shrugged her slender shoulders. "Perhaps," she admitted. She didn't often put much stock in fate, but at moments like this, some signs seemed too strong to ignore. How strange, to have been snatched from the wedding she'd dreaded, only to find herself deposited on the ship of the man whose memory plagued her thoughts.

Jack studied the girl, his own mind reeling from the recent course of actions that seemed to have taken hold of him, irresistible, like the crashing of the waves. It didn't seem hardly fair, for him to have finally gotten to a point where she no longer entered his thoughts hourly, no longer haunted his dreams _every _night, and now here she was again. Back on his ship, and in a wedding dress no less. The Gods must be crazy.

"What now, Captain? Do we have a heading?" asked Gibbs.

Elizabeth knew what came next, and it was a conversation she wanted to avoid until she'd gathered her thoughts more thoroughly. "I think," she said, sitting down on a barrel, "That we should have a celebration. Seeing as I've been deprived of my wedding party tonight, I have no doubt you fine gentleman would be happy to oblige."

The crew gave a grand hurrah, and raced down to the hold to fetch instruments and rum. "You would think that you were the captain," said Jack, watching them go amusedly, sitting down beside her. He noticed she'd slipped into her own thoughts, staring blindly at some indefinable point. _Not a good sign_. "I know I already asked ye, but I can't say I received much of a verbal response….did they hurt you?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "Only bruises, I'm sure I'll live. I'm afraid I escaped...other forms of assault by the skin of my teeth. Let us say the captain did not much appreciate having hot wax flung about his...person."

Jack winced with the thought, but felt proud of her courage. "Lucky you are, Lizzy. A lass such as yourself would make a fine prize for keeps in a captain's cabin."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, wondering if Jack meant to make innuendos, or simply stated facts as he saw them. "It seems Captain Savage thought so."

"Savage Sam, eh?" asked Jack with a baring of teeth, gold glinting in the moonlight.

"I suppose he's the one. It takes quite an audacious pirate to attack Port Royal in broad daylight. The distraction of the wedding helped a bit, I would guess."

"Aye, it would. What happened?"

"I can't rightly say," Elizabeth admitted. "I was snatched on the cliff looking out to the sea, well away from the wedding site. If it hadn't been for these damn corsets, I would have fought the bastards off and escaped."

Jack grinned at her use of such harsh language for a lady of her breeding. "Not on board for ten minutes and you're already cursing like a sailor. Beautiful. And just what were you doing out by the sea, in your wedding regalia?"

Elizabeth shrugged. _Saying goodbye to freedom _she answered in her head. "Thinking," she voiced aloud.

By the looks of her expression, Jack had an idea of just what she'd been thinking about. "You know love, there is still the matter of a heading to discuss..." He turned to look at her knowingly, lip curled in a smirk. "And you're not exactly acting like a woman who's wedding's been sabotaged by pirates."

Jack couldn't help but examine the cut of her gown, the neckline leaving her shoulders and much of her chest bare. Perhaps once there had been a necklace, but no doubt her captors had relieved her of it. "I suppose what you mean to ask, _Captain, _is do I wish to be returned to my doting family in Port Royal?"

"Aye, that question is in there somewhere."

Elizabeth sighed resignedly. For all her duties and all her fears, she saw this as her opportunity to disappear off the map. Almost like faking her own death, she could start anew somewhere else. "I have no heading, Jack," she admitted. She glanced down at her hand; the diamond ring that once graced her finger now long gone, stolen by her captors. "I don't miss the anchor that weighed down this hand," she admitted, holding out her slender fingers for Jack to see the pale white band of skin; the sun marked where the ring had once been. "I'm tempted to cut my lines and drift the way my own winds may tell me to sail."

Jack smiled widely, gold teeth glinting in the lantern light. "I knew you'd be curious, love."

Before they could discuss further, the crew emerged from below, brandishing rum bottles and wide grins. "We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs! Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho," belted one of the men, and Cotton came out with a violin, his bow serenading a merry accompaniment. "If the lass wants a party, we'll surely give her one," proclaimed Jack, grasping her hand and dragging her from her seat.

The captain twirled her around, and Elizabeth reveled in the way he lifted her off her feet, her skirt filling out around them in a cloud of fine fabric. Jack had knack for rearranging her center of gravity in their every encounter; it seemed tonight would be no different.

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	3. Chapter 3

A/N: The reader response on the previous chapter was incredible, thank you so much guys! So, on with the show...

Part III

After hours of dancing and swilling rum with the crew, Elizabeth found herself retreating into Jack's cabin. He offered her the use of his berth, planning to bunk in a hammock with the rest of the crew. Her head still spun from dancing with Jack; he threw her about the deck of the Pearl; they'd spun and spun like whirling dervishes, laughing the entire way.

_Never a dull moment with you, Lizzy, _he'd said as they collapsed to sit upon a crate together. He'd slipped his arm around her shoulders, and she'd unabashedly nestled into the warmth of his body, at least for the moment pleased to not give a damn. Jack smelled intoxicatingly of the sea, of sweat and spices, and she couldn't remember the last time she'd been so perfectly happy.

Perhaps the last time was aboard the Pearl as well, after rescuing Jack from World's End. He'd warily avoided her for a few days, until under the cover of darkness he pulled her aside, stealing a ravishing kiss and whispering in her ear _I forgive you, _before sneaking back to his duties at the helmFor the next few days after that she'd floated along in the clouds, and Will glared at Jack suspiciously.

Jack arranged the covers of his berth, checking that there were no stray creatures or weapons lying about. "Well, sweet dreams, love," he said, making to retreat down below. His fingers trailed down her arm as he walked away, sending gooseflesh marching across her skin.

"Jack, wait," she said, clasping his fingers in hers. She knew this moment would come eventually, and had racked her brains all evening to think of a way to ask for his help. He paused, quirking one eyebrow inquiringly.

"Yes, love?"

"I…" She looked into his dark penetrating eyes, and felt a warm blush creep over her cheeks and ears. "Well, it took two people to get me into this dress this morning, and I….need help getting out of it."

Jack chuckled, a low sound that tugged at something deep within Elizabeth. "There's no shame in admitting you just want ol' Jack to strip you down, love. You needn't make excuses..."

When Elizabeth paid him a haughty glare, he made a circling motion with one finger, urging her to turn around. He understood her plight; corsets were one of the most imprisoning inventions pressed upon women. "You know, you were also deprived of your wedding night," mused Jack as he undid the top lacings on the back of her gown.

His fingers traveled up to brush lightly over her shoulders, causing Elizabeth to shudder. "If you're also feeling cheated in that area, I would be happy to compensate," he whispered against the skin of her neck, hands moving back down to the laces. As he freed the next few Elizabeth's hands flew up to her neckline, catching the falling dress. She froze, her senses assaulted by the warmth of the pirate behind her, and the acute ache in her heart to not send him away.

She turned around to face him, one hand clutching her neckline. "Jack¾"

He pulled her to him, one hand on her waist, the other lifted to caress the side of her face.

"I can't seem to escape you, love," Jack confessed. "If you're not in my thoughts, you seem to be on my ship. Which is why I think you should stay here."

Elizabeth released a shuddering breath. "Don't say such things to me unless you mean them, Jack Sparrow."

"_Captain _Jack Sparrow."

"Well, _Captain _Sparrow," she whispered above his mouth tauntingly. "If you're offering me freedom, I'd be a fool to leave it behind again."

"That you would, love," said Jack, leaning closer. "And we both know Elizabeth Swann is no fool." With two fingers at her jaw line, Jack pulled her forward by sheer force of magnetism into a heated kiss. His tongue was a slick wetness between her lips, eager to taste her every flavor. Elizabeth leaned into the pirate, both hands delving into his hair, as though there were a possibility he might pull away. Only the pressure of their bodies together held up the dress now. A fleeting thought of Will entered Elizabeth's mind, but was quickly slain by Jack's lips on her neck, igniting a line of fire down her spine to lower areas.

Along with a the growing heat of passion, Jack felt a certain sense of triumph deep inside. However, he knew it was only a fleeting sensation. Though Elizabeth seemed as though she were giving herself to him at long last, he knew she was a woman no man could ever truly own. But if there was anything Jack loved, it was taking that which did not belong to him. She would be a challenge forever; a woman with a soul like the ocean. And like the ocean, she entranced all those around her. No one escaped unchanged; life would never be the same again. As they sank down onto his berth, Jack explored her skin with sea-worn hands, hungrily anticipating the adventures ahead.

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